The Blind Cat
by nekodreamstealer
Summary: When Ichigo is captured by the aliens and taken to their ship and Pai's new machine is on the rampage, what will happen? Mainly KxI, some PxT and PxL.
1. Chapter 1&2

**1**

"Pai, when are you going to be _done_ with that thing?"

Pai shrugged, not bothering to turn around to face Kisshu as he fumbled to place a piece into the machine he was constructing. "This is a very delicate instrument, and it will take time to—"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Pai was cut off by a young voice that came from behind him. Taruto yawned. "All I want to know is who we're attacking. Is it that old hag?"

Kisshu shot him a death glare, and Taruto took a quick step back. Pai nodded, and fitted another piece into the cylindrical machine. It was starting to look a bit like a pencil with a red switch on top. It had a miniature speaker attached to the bottom.

"Yes," he said, "we shall be attacking Mew Ichigo. If we get the cat girl alone and get her, the rest of the Mews will be helpless without their leader."

Taruto rubbed his palms together gleefully. "I like how you think. Then I can make that stupid monkey cry!"

Kisshu raised his eyebrow at the young alien, amused, who shrugged.

Suddenly, Pai clapped his hands and leaned back in his chair. "It's done!"

Kisshu jumped up. "Let's go then! I'm so bored!"

However, underneath his placid features, he was deathly afraid. What would happen to Ichigo? He didn't want her to get hurt.

Pai grabbed the machine and the three aliens teleported to Earth.

**2**

Ichigo hummed as she walked down the sidewalk. It was a beautiful evening, and she had just gotten off from work. The bell around her neck jingled as she walked, interrupting her thoughts.

_I wonder if I should tell him…_ she thought, stopping and standing still,_ that I'm a Mew Mew. _

She shook her head._ No! I can't tell Aoyama-kun! He'll think I'm some kind of freak! _

Beginning to walk again, she noticed where she was. She stood at the gate, staring at the house behind it. Masaya Aoyama's house…

"Ichigo?"

She was snapped out of her trance by a confused voice. She turned towards it, and blushed when she saw the owner of such melodious tones.

"Hi, Aoyama-kun!"

The boy stepped toward her and hugged her, but Ichigo became tense and did not hug him back, for she was overcome with a wave of guilt. The boy pulled away and looked at her. "Is something wrong?"

She began to shake her head, but then she nodded.

Ichigo took a deep breath and said, "I-I've been lying to you."

Masaya blinked. "What?"

"Can…we go somewhere to talk?"

Masaya smiled gently. "If there's something wrong, let me help you fix it. You can tell me here."

Ichigo nodded and looked the boy in the eyes. As she opened her mouth, however, an explosion behind her threw both her and Masaya into a wall. Ichigo stood up shakily, glaring at the alien floating above her.

"Kisshu, go away! I don't need this right now!"

The alien tapped the tip of his sword against his chin. "No, I don't think I will…"

"H-how do you know him?"

Ichigo gasped and turned to where her boyfriend was propping himself up against a wall. "Aoyama-kun…"

Kisshu smirked. "She hasn't told you, pretty boy?"

Ichigo growled. "I was about to, before you interrupted!"

Masaya's brow wrinkled as he stood up and walked over to Ichigo. "T-tell me what?"

Ichigo's mouth opened again, but Kisshu chose that moment to raise his swords above his head, conjuring an energy ball.

"NO! Mew Mew Strawberry Metamorpho-SIS!"

She leapt in front of Masaya, blocking the attack with her Shield.

She turned to face her boyfriend after the energy dissipated, and smiled gently. Masaya's eyes widened.

Ichigo continued to smile. "Aoyama-kun…I-I'm a Mew Mew."

He took a step towards her, reaching out to stroke a furry cat ear and taking a quick breath when he felt the warmth coming from them.

"Ichigo…"

Suddenly, Ichigo whirled around when she felt a ripple in the air behind her.

"Good, Kisshu, you found her." Pai smirked slightly. Taruto giggled.

_Oh, crap…_ Ichigo thought. Turning back to face Masaya, she said to him very quietly, "I need you to go to the Café and get Shirogane. Run!"

He gave a small, barely noticeable nod and took off down the road.

The three aliens looked after him. "Aww," Kisshu said, "he can't stay to help? How cowardly of him…"

Ichigo hissed at him and Pai shouted, "Now!"

The three aliens teleported, trapping Ichigo in a loose circle. Ichigo looked left and right, sizing up her opponents. She conjured her weapon and said, "Ribon Strawberry Sur—!"

"Fuu Rai Sen!"

The Strawberry Bell flew out of her hand from Pai's well aimed attack and Kisshu reached out and caught it with ease, twirling it on his wrist. He smirked, and her eyes widened.

"W-what do you want?" Ichigo asked, her voice trembling slightly.

"We want you to come with us."

Ichigo turned quickly to face Pai, who was twirling what looked like a silver stick between his fingers.

She scoffed. "Like that'll ever happen!"

He raised an eyebrow. "Very well…Kish?"

The younger alien turned to face Pai. "Yeah?"

Pai adjusted a dial on the side of the machine numbered from 1 to 20, set it to '1', and flipped the switch. "Kish, can you hear that?"

Kisshu shook his head, and said offhandedly, "No. Why?"

Ichigo, however, drew her eyebrows together. "I hear something," she said, rubbing one cat ear. "What is that? It's like a…a high-pitched whining. It's really quiet though."

Pai smirked and turned the machine off. "Kish, I have an interesting fact for you. Did you know that cats can hear five times better than us _or_ humans?"

Kisshu shook his head. "Nope. Cool, though."

Pai looked down at the slender device again, turning the dial up to '9'. He turned to Ichigo.

"This is a little project I whipped up this morning. If you won't come willingly, I'll have to use it. Do you _really_ want that?"

Ichigo scowled. "I'll never go with you!"

Pai smirked. "Very well, then. Oh, hey, cat-girl? Remember that high-pitched whining?"

Ichigo nodded hesitantly.

The purple haired alien aimed the miniature speaker on the end of the machine at Ichigo.

"Well, it's about to get louder," he said evilly, and flipped the switch.


	2. Chapter 3&4

Okay, as promised, the next chapter because I got 2 reviews. See, people? That's all it takes!

Enjoy!

**3**

Nothing happened for what seemed like an eternity, but in reality was only a few seconds. Then, Ichigo's hands flew up to her ears and she sank to the ground, crying out and curling up into a fragile ball of agonizing pain.

From the angle on where he was standing, Kisshu could see the tears start to roll down her cheeks, her eyes wide and reflecting only one, and dominant, emotion: pain. Her mouth was wide open in a silent scream.

His own eyes widened in seeing her so helpless, in so much pain. A single breath of air escaped his lips. "Ichigo…"

He turned to face his elder, fury burning in his eyes. "Pai, stop!"

Ichigo cried out again, a horrible, strangled sound cut off by sobs.

"PAI!"

The alien turned to look at Kisshu, who had summoned his swords and was in a fighting stance.

Pai's features portrayed mild surprise for a second, and then he shrugged and flipped the switch on the top of the machine, turning it off.

Kisshu flew over to Ichigo, who lay on the asphalt, curled into a quivering ball. He stroked her shoulder, but she shrank away from his touch. "Koneko-chan…"

Ichigo slowly removed her hands from her head, as if she was afraid pieces of her skull would come away in them. She continued to sob, and Kisshu laid a hand on her wet cheek, wiping away her tears.

"I'm so sorry, Ichigo…"

She looked up at him and began to sit up, but her eyes closed and she fell backwards into his lap, unconscious.

Taruto flew over to them from where he had been in the sky and shouted, "Hurry up! The Mews are coming!"

Kisshu gathered Ichigo into his arms, relieved to find her stomach gently rising and falling.

He floated into the air with Pai and Taruto just as the Mews came around the corner. The last thing the aliens saw before they teleported were the shocked looks on the Mews', Ryo's, Keiichiro's and Masaya's faces.

**4**

"I can't believe we got there too _late_…" Ryo put his face in his hands and rubbed his eyes, trying to chase away the weariness.

Masaya stood up from the table and looked at the group of people before him: The Mews and Ryo and Keiichiro. "How are we going to find her?"

Ryo looked up at him, angry. "Do _you_ have any bright ideas? She could be anywhere! Absolutely _anywhere_!"

"It's been nearly four hours since they disappeared with her, Shirogane," Zakuro said. "They most likely plan on holding her for ransom."

"Good deduction."

The group turned to find the source of the voice, and they met golden eyes. Kisshu held out a piece of paper.

"Pai told me to deliver this."

Masaya stood up and walked towards the alien, who was treating him to a steady glare. Masaya snatched the paper from the Kisshu's hand and quickly backed away, retreating behind Zakuro, Mint and Retasu.

When Masaya turned back to look at Kisshu, he was gone. _Funny,_ the boy thought,_ he looked almost…regretful…sad…_

"Well? What does it say?"

Ryo was looking at him impatiently. Masaya shrugged. "Well, we're about to find out."

He unfolded the paper, and his eyes skimmed the words on the paper quickly; his eyes widened, tinted with fear, and he read the letter again, slowly.

After a few seconds, his eyes lifted from the paper and he stared into space, sinking to his knees.

_To Whom It May Concern, _it said,

_Meet us at exactly noon in one week in the park with all of your collected Mew Aqua for an exchange. Why? If you chose not to heed our demands, Ichigo will suffer the consequences. Her life is in your hands. Chose wisely._

_Pai_


	3. Chapter 5&6

**5**

_Crap._

The word ran through Kisshu's mind, along with a few others as he sprinted through the maze-like hallways of the spaceship.

He had gone to Earth to deliver a letter, and had been gone for ten; fifteen minutes at most, apparently long enough for her to disappear from his bed where she had been peacefully laying, unconscious, for the last four hours.

_Crap. Ichigo where are you?_

He rounded a corner, having to grab at the wall to make the turn. He ran as fast as he could down the next hallway, breathing hard; not from exertion, but from anxiety. If something had happened to her…

…he didn't know what he would do.

He looked left and right as he raced forward, skidding to a stop when he glanced into a room and saw a flash of red hair. 

She was in the viewing room. She sat on the bench in the middle of the room with her chin on her knees and she stared out, past the huge glass pane in font of her, at the Earth in all of its glory.

As Kisshu watched, she sniffed and brought her hand up to her eyes, angrily wiping away tears.

"Koneko-chan?"

She whirled around and glared at him. "What do you want?"

He walked over to her and sat down on the bench next to her, albeit a few inches away. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, nothing at _all_. But, now that you mention it, I had to tell my boyfriend that I was a Mew Mew…oh, and I was surrounded and attacked, and my _head_ got _torn apart_, and then there's the fact that I was kidnapped! Did I forget anything?"

More tears ran down her cheeks and she did not attempt to brush them away. Kisshu reached up a hand and did the job for her. "Don't cry…"

She swatted his hand away, and avoided his gaze.

"Kish, why are you so weird?"

The alien blinked. "That's a strange question."

"Y-you're so…perverted and deathly one second, calling me your toy and stealing kisses; then you're all quiet and calm, and you're actually nice to me. Why?"

Kisshu suddenly seemed to find something on the floor interesting. "I…don't know."

…But he did know. Inside himself, he was fighting between his priorities and his wants. On one end of the scale, there lie his entire race, his loyalty to his people; on the other end was the life of Ichigo, the girl he loved with all his heart.

The alien smirked. "So, you're saying you like me?" He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her close.

Ichigo shook her head, flinging a few tears into the air, and moved back to where she had been sitting. "Stop it, Kish. Pai already hurt me enough."

"Did…it really hurt?"

She turned to look at him, confused. There was a touch of…concern in his voice. Her lower lip wobbled slightly, and suddenly, unable to hold them in any longer, she nodded and the tears poured down her cheeks.

Kisshu tentatively reached a hand toward her as she let her head fall into her hands, and he watched her shoulders hitch with sobs. He wanted so much to comfort her, to hold her…

Giving into his desires, he enveloped her in his arms, rocking her back and forth gently. "Shhh, koneko-chan…"

He waited for her to push him away, for her to rush out of the room. He waited for her to tell him to go away, like she always did.

To his great surprise, she buried her head in his chest and sobbed into his shirt. She just sat there, allowing him to comfort her.

_I am here for her, when she needs it,_ he thought with slight pride, _and not her precious Aoyama-kun._

**6**

"What exactly _is_ this?" Ichigo asked, pointing at the food piled on her plate.

Kisshu shrugged. "I dunno. It's from your planet, so you should know."

She stared doubtfully at the plate. It was piled high with some kind of weird brown stuff, with broccoli and carrots mixed in. "It looks like…vegetable curry. Or something…"

Kisshu cautiously raised a forkful of curry to his mouth and chewed. His face lit up, and he turned to Ichigo. "It's really good! Tart actually stole something edible this time."

Ichigo looked at him strangely for a few seconds, and then dug into her own meal. She seemed to relax with every bite she took, and by the time her plate was empty, she was sitting back against the side of Kisshu's bed with her eyes half-closed. They were eating in his bedroom, on the floor, since the kitchen had no table.

It was a lonely-looking room, having only a single bed and a desk occupying it. There was a bulletin board on one wall covered in bits of paper with writing in a different language on them. There was a door on another wall, leading into the bathroom, and yet another door on the third wall that led back out to the hallway. The bed occupied the fourth wall.

She had been here two days already, and Kisshu was being so nice to her. He had told her straight off that no-one would hurt her while she was here, and when Pai had taken some of her blood for tests, Kisshu had held her hand while Pai painfully drew blood from the vein.

_I feel…_safe_ around him,_ she thought and looked over at him, watching him eat his food, _and I…I think I might just…_

_NO! I'm in love with Aoyama-kun! He's in love with me! End. Of. Story!!_

_But…still, I…_

"See something you like, koneko-chan?"

A bright red blush flew across her cheeks and her cat ears popped out. "Pervert," she mumbled.

Kisshu reached over and stroked her cat ear, laughing lightly. "So cute…"

Ichigo reeled back. "What?"

The alien looked at her, confused. "Hasn't anyone ever told you that your cat ears are cute?"

Ichigo shook her head._ No one ever has,_ she wanted to say,_ not even…Aoyama-kun._

He shrugged. "Well…now someone has."

Ichigo looked at him again. "K-Kish?"

"Yah?"

"Well…I…thank you."

"You're welcome. Oh, Pai gave me this. He said that if you misbehaved I was supposed to turn it to '4' and flip the red switch. But I won't. Do you want it?"

She turned to him to find that he was holding out the silver machine they had used to capture her with. "B-but…why…?"

Kisshu smirked. "I don't need it." Suddenly, moving so fast he was a blur, he set down his empty plate and pounced on her, straddling her hips and forcing her wrists down on the hard-wood floor.

"Kish!"

He smirked when he saw her outraged expression. He laughed and said, "Koneko-chan, you look so cute when you're mad!"

Ichigo blinked as the alien on top of her continued to laugh. All at once, though, his expression became calm and his eyes took on an emotion she had never seen before.

He moved his head closer, and pressed his lips against hers, trying to cram all of his suppressed emotion into that one, simple kiss. Ichigo's eyes widened, but after a while, her body began to respond and she gently kissed back.

After a few seconds, Kisshu—_Kisshu—_broke the kiss and got off her, helping her into a sitting position and pulling her into a tight embrace. His hot breath tickled her cat ear as he whispered into it.

"_I love you, Ichigo."_


	4. Chapter 7&8

**Ha-ha, sorry people. This is my first chapter with an author's note because I kept forgetting to put one in all the other times! My bad.**

**Anyway. Up until now, I've been updating with two reviews, but the last two times, I've gotten those two reviews almost right away. Aaaaannnd I've got all the chapters written out and I think it's a pretty fluffy/awesome ending, considering it's the only full and long story I've EVER written. So, heh.**

**But yes, point being, I now need 4 or more reviews. That's double of what I was previously expecting. sigh I'm a slave driver at heart, I know, I know. **

**Ah. Almost forgot. Go to Porcelain-carrier-67's profile and read her stories!! They are awesomeness, I swear. BUT! I am doing this out of my own free will; I am neither a billboard nor an advertising service.**

**-.-**

**XD**

**On with the story!! **

**7**

Ichigo blinked open her eyes the next day to find that she was in an unfamiliar room, but then she remembered. _Oh, yeah…the spaceship…I've been here for three days, now…_

She threw off the covers and stepped onto the floor. She winced. _Cold…very cold…_

Looking over to her right, she was surprised to find that the makeshift bed on the floor next to her was empty. She raided Kisshu's desk and found a black half-shirt that exposed her midriff slightly and some long, black, baggy pants to wear. _After all, when they kidnapped me, they didn't exactly give me time to pack a bag._

She opened the door and walked out into the hallway, the long ribbons on the pants streaming behind her. She walked up and down the hallways in her bare feet, glancing into rooms on her way past.

Ichigo glanced past the door of one room and she was surprised to find Pai there, sitting at a desk with a keyboard. She pushed the door open and cautiously entered the room. Pai was sitting in front of a large, glass mirrored window, behind which…

Ichigo did a double take. Kisshu was behind the window, destroying what looked like Chimera Anima with his Dragon Swords. She walked closer to the window, and rested a hand against it, mouth slightly open in amazement.

Kisshu was flipping in the air, moving so incredibly fast at times that he was barely visible. His swords were but blurs in the air, reflecting the light that came from the ceiling lamps.

"He has the skill to kill you, you know. This is the highest training level, level twenty. Even I can't get past level eighteen. Tart can barely pass level thirteen."

Ichigo turned to look at Pai, who was watching her with interest from his position at the control board. She swallowed. "Why doesn't he, then? Kill me, I mean."

"You stupid, stupid human. He loves you. Even when he does hurt you in battle, afterwards he locks himself in his room and has a private little guilt fest. The first—and last—time we tried to cheer him up, Tart got a bloody nose."

Ichigo frowned and turned back to the window, where Kisshu was still busy slashing at Chimera Animas. He teleported over the last one, a particularly big one covered in metal spikes. He fired an energy ball at it, and it disappeared into particles.

He fell to his knees, breathing heavily. His entire upper body was soaked in sweat, and he let his swords fall to the floor with a clatter.

Pai pushed a button and a microphone popped out of the desk.

"Kish, great job. Your speed improved by two percent, and your stamina improved by double that."

Kisshu stood up shakily and directed a thumbs-up toward the window.

"Oh, and you have a visitor."

He deactivated the mirrored screens on the window, and Kisshu blinked in surprise when he saw Ichigo standing there. She waved cautiously.

He teleported and appeared beside her with a grin on his face. "Hey, koneko-chan!"

He seemed to notice something, and stepped back, looking her up and down. He smirked. "You're wearing my clothes."

"Well, I had been wearing those jeans and T-shirt for two days, and you didn't exactly give me a chance to pack anything, did you?"

He laughed. "All true. Pai, thanks, and I'm gonna go back to my room now and wash up."

Pai nodded, and Kisshu took Ichigo's hand and they teleported back to his room. Immediately, Ichigo extracted her hand from his and wiped it off on her pants. "Eeew, Kish! Gross! Sweat!"

He smirked and walked into the bathroom, shutting the door. "I'm gonna take a bath; you can take one after, if you want."

Ichigo collapsed onto the bed, subconsciously curling up like a cat.

_It's amazing…_ she mused, _that I can talk to him like this, like we were old friends, just after three days! Then again…maybe I do care for him…_

_No! I am loyal to Aoyama-kun. I am loyal to Aoyama-kun. I am loyal to Aoyama-kun. I am loyal to Aoyama-kun. I am loyal to…to…_

**8**

Kisshu let himself slowly slide under the warm water and the bubbles in the bath. The water played with his hair as he released the air from his lungs and sank down to the bottom of the huge, deep bathtub.

He inhaled deeply, taking care to gather only air from the liquid. It was such a handy talent, being able to breath under water.

He opened his eyes to look up through the water above him at the blurry world.

_Ichigo…_

It was so calming, just lying there in the bottom of the tub, thinking over things.

He rose to the surface again, climbing out of the tub and drying himself off with a towel he grabbed from the rack. He got dressed and opened the door, stepping into the main part of his room.

The alien walked over to the sleeping form of Ichigo, marveling at how serene she looked, just lying there. He stroked her cheek and brushed a stray hair from her face, his eyes falling on her lips. He leaned in and kissed her gently.

Ichigo's eyes snapped open and she pushed him away with an outraged shout of, "Kish! You pervert!"

He rose off the floor, grasping her by the shoulders. _I was supposed to be respecting her, trying to get on her good side!_ "I'm sorry, Ichigo! Please forgive me?"

Ichigo gazed into his pleading amber orbs for a few seconds, and then her eyes softened and she stood up, shrugging him off. "It's okay, I guess."

She disappeared into the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

--

"Koneko-chan, you want some breakfast?"

Ichigo nodded. "Yeah, I'm starved! At least I'm clean, though."

He laughed and disappeared from the room, leaving Ichigo alone. She looked left and right, wondering what to do to pass the time. Her eyes fell on the cabinets above the dresser, and she walked over to one, opening it.

It was cluttered with various papers and folders, a few of which tumbled out and landed on the floor at her feet. She frowned and picked up the biggest one. Opening it, Ichigo was slightly surprised to find that it was stuffed with what looked like professional reports and a few pictures.

She decided to ignore the papers, which were covered in strange symbols and lines. Choosing a random picture, she raised it up to her face.

It showed a green-haired boy of about eight rolling around on the ground with a brown haired boy of about six. Both were laughing. Off to the side, a purple-haired boy of maybe eleven or twelve was smiling, watching his two friends have fun.

_Kish and Tart…and Pai? Wow! He looks so different, actually _smiling_…_

She set the picture down, pulling another from the folder.

Two people, a man and a woman, sat in a small room facing each other, a loving look in their eyes. The woman held a baby in her arms, which had its eyes squeezed tightly shut, sleeping.

She sat down on the floor, looking at the picture for a while. She was still staring at it when Kisshu reappeared in the room with two plates of fruit and buttered toast. He set them on the desk and sat own next to Ichigo.

"That's my mom," he said, pointing to the woman, "and my dad. That's me," he added, his finger moving to the baby.

"They must be missing you."

"No…they died soon after that photo was taken, actually." Picking up the first picture Ichigo had looked at he said, "I went to an orphanage and I met Pai and Tart there. We were all sent to an army training camp when Deep Blue appeared and we three were sent to Earth to reclaim it from the _evil humans_." He smirked slightly.

Ichigo frowned. "Kish, how am I supposed to feel sorry for you when you're so dang obnoxious?"

Kisshu grinned. "I dunno. I don't want you to pity me. After all, Pai and Tart are orphans too, and you don't feel sorry for them…"

Ichigo grunted in acknowledgement, but her eyes were still slightly unfocused. Reaching up, Kisshu handed her a plate and she began to eat slowly.

They sat there in silence for the rest of the meal, Kisshu enjoying Ichigo's company and the fact that she wasn't running away screaming; Ichigo, lost in her thoughts.

**Mhmmmm…Kish without a shirt…I think I found my happy place, people!**

**shakes head Anyway…4 reviews and you get the next two chapters!! Until then, ja!**


	5. Chapter 9&10

**I needed two more reviews to meet my goal, and I haven't received any for two weeks. -- ng**

**SO! I've decided to go ahead and post chapters 9 and 10, and I hope you like it. Hands cookies to all reviewers Enjoy!**

**Chapter is dedicated to kuroneko-san. Wave to him in the Netherlands, people!**

9

There was a knock at the door a few hours later. "Hello? Kish? I need Ichigo for some tests."

Ichigo groaned. "Do I have to?"

Pai's growl was all the answer she needed.

"Fine, fine. Don't get your ribbons in a knot."

Kisshu chuckled quietly and he and Ichigo walked out into the hallway, following Pai into the lab. Pai motioned for Ichigo to sit down in a chair, and he grabbed a vial of something clear. He thrust it towards Ichigo. "Drink this."

Ichigo took it and looked at it suspiciously. "What is it?"

"It's a type of sedative. I need you to be calm for the test I'm going to perform."

Ichigo narrowed her eyes, and Kisshu squeezed her hand. "It's okay," he said.

She hesitated for a moment, and then nodded. "A-alright, Kish. I…I'll trust you."

She tipped the vial back and drank it down quickly, and after a few seconds, she leaned back and relaxed in the chair. Her head flopped down onto her shoulder and she began to spout information.

"…and I can transform into a cat and so can Ryo Shirogane, who turns into Alto, a cat, for ten minutes and if he remains Alto for more than ten minutes he will become a cat forever and he won't be able to transform back. He tested the cat DNA on himself before he started the Mew project because he wanted to make sure that the injection was safe for us…"

Kisshu stared at her for a few seconds as more and more information came leaking out about the Mew project and her teammates; their weaknesses, their likes, dislikes…

"Pai, what did you _do_?"

The alien continued to take notes on what he was hearing. "I gave her some truth serum. She is our enemy, after all."

"Pai, how could you? You saw how she trusted us!"

Pai shrugged. "She won't remember it anyway. There were a few drops of Delitorra Memorium in there, too."

"Pa-ai!"

"Shut up! I can't hear her!"

Ichigo continued to rant.

"…and Retasu is so shy to tell Pai that she likes him. I think that maybe Pai likes her, too, but he's bound by his loyalty to his people. I saw a picture of him when he was younger that was in Kish's desk and he seemed really happy and stuff, like Tart does now. But then again, his loyalty and calmness is what Retasu admires about him, so maybe it's better that he's like that, and they're enemies, anyway, so there's not much we can do…"

Pai sat back in the chair in a shocked silence for a while. Kisshu stared at him, watching the emotions flit across his elder's face. Sorrow, fear, anger, confusion…

Kisshu reached out a hand to touch Pai's shoulder and he said softly, "Are you…okay?"

Pai stood and walked over to the counter, grabbing another vial. He pinched Ichigo's nose, forcing her to swallow it.

"Now what was _that_?" Kisshu asked, now thoroughly alarmed.

Pai stared at Ichigo as she began to sit up and rub her eyes. "That was the cure to both the Delitorra Memorium and the truth serum. I'm going to my room."

Ichigo suddenly jumped up and raced after him. Her cat appendages popped out in her anger and she jabbed her finger into his back.

"What the heck do you think you're doing, forcing me to tell you all that? I wasn't supposed to!"

Pai stopped. "I'm…I'm sorry I forced you to."

"W-what? You are?"

He turned and glared at her, the pencil-shaped machine that Kisshu had returned to him and was harbored in his pocket flying out and landing on the floor with a clatter. "You heard me!" He turned and started to leave the room again.

"P-Pai, I…AHH!"

She fell to the floor, hands clasped over her cat ears. "Stop!" she yelled desperately, "Stop it, please! I didn't do anything!"

Kisshu rushed over to her as Pai lifted his foot off of the accidentally crushed machine, grasping her shoulders and looking into her panicked irises.

Ichigo screamed again and squeezed her eyes shut, tears leaking out, anyway.

"Pai! Make the noise stop!"

The purple haired alien looked at Kisshu, who was looking up at him desperately.

Pai's eyes widened as he looked back at the crushed, spark-lit machine on the ground.

"I…I can't…" he whispered.

**10**

"You can't? What do you mean you '_can't_', Pai?"

"It…the wires have formed connections where there shouldn't be any. I can't stop it! It's going to overload, and the volume is rising! Crap!"

Ichigo screamed as the sound's volume rose of its own accord. She began to shake uncontrollably in Kisshu's arms, still mumbling her desperate pleas.

"S-s-stop! Please! I…I didn't do…a-anything! K-Kish! P-please, h-help me! KISH!"

Kisshu shook her by the shoulders as she cried his name and the sound grew louder. It was on '15', now, and it was so loud that the aliens could hear it, too.

Kisshu shook her by the shoulders again. "Ichigo! I'm right here, okay? Don't worry!"

She cried out in agony again as the volume rose another three notches and every cell in her body was torn apart.

"KISSHU!"

Tears began to enter the young alien's eyes now as he watched Ichigo writhe in pain. She sobbed uncontrollably as she tore away from him, still screaming his name.

Kisshu turned quickly to face his elder. "Pai! Do something!"

Pai shook his head, tears his eyes wide and urgent. "I can't, Kish! There's nothing I can do!"

The volume rose to '19' and Ichigo began to flicker back and forth between her cat and human forms. The sound was even slightly painful for the aliens, now.

Kisshu rushed over to the machine on the ground and pushed Pai out of the way, who was trying to approach the machine, to no avail. Every time he tried to get near it, stray sparks shot up and burned his fingers. Kisshu reached in his hand and tried to touch the device, but reeled back as a white hot spark nipped his palm. When the volume rose to '20', the highest level, Ichigo screamed again and Kisshu's purpose was renewed. Ignoring the pain, he grabbed what was left of the machine and broke it in half, causing it to explode in his hands and the deafening noise to stop.

The last thing Ichigo heard before she blacked out was an explosion, followed by Kisshu's cry of pure agony.

**I wonder what happened to Kisshu...and Ichigo for that matter...hmmm...5 reviews for the answer!**

**XD**


	6. Chapter 11&12

**WOW. I got like, so many reviews compared to the last chapter. keep it up, people, and you might inspire me to write faster, especially now that, after this chapter, the fluff can begin. nn**

**Alright. I've decided to do some review replies up here, actually ALL the review replies. I got 8 reviews. Thankies, everybody!! hands fudge cookies to reviewers**

Suuz112: **Your review made me laugh. You're so energetic! XD**

kajoo: **Sorry I didn't update in so long and you have to go back and re-read the chapters to know what happens, but I made it clear that I wanted 5 reviews to update, and I only got 3. So, yes. Karma, if you will. XD**

pinky strawberry angel: **I enjoyed writing the part where Pai got shocked, so I'm glad you enjoyed reading it!! There's not much fluff between them, but I think I'll put in a little part with them in one of the last chapters. Keep in mind though that this story focuses mostly on Kisshu and Ichigo.**

Bloom Momomiya: **I have read your review like, five times and I keep laughing. Extra cookie to you!!**

IchigoMashimaro: **I hate high-pitch noises, too. :P bleh**

BuffyGirl07: **Only two words, but very to the point. XD**

Spiritcharm: **Deaf, huh? You're close...**

Safaia Bara: **I didn't think of that. You're obviously smarter than me. I'll defend myself with the idea that they were all freaked out and not thinking clearly. And, if I had thought of that, the story wouldn't turn out like I want it to. Extra cookie to you for outsmarting the authoress!**

**Anyhoo, on with the story!!**

* * *

**11**

Ichigo blinked her eyes open to be met with blackness. Utter inky darkness, tainted with despair.

"Ichigo! Thank the Gods, you're awake!"

The voice echoed in her mind, and she turned toward the source. She new that voice, even if she couldn't see its owner.

"Kish? What happened?"

A hand pressed a cool cloth to her forehead, and Ichigo closed her eyes again, enjoying the blissfulness.

"You passed out after the machine exploded. Are you okay? Pai said that you might have brain damage because the sound waves reached such a high volume and frequency, and lasted for so long. Can you move your fingers and toes? Is everything okay?"

She complied, and she heard the alien sigh in relief. "Thank goodness."

"K-Kish? I heard you scream. What happened?"

The cloth was removed and a new one was set in its place, ice cold. "The machine exploded in my hand, and my little finger…well, I only have four fingers on my left hand, now. At least I stopped the noise. Heh-heh."

"Kish…thank you, so, so much."

She could almost feel the alien's happiness, it was shed so freely. "I'm just glad you're okay."

A slight blush covered her cheeks, and when she opened her eyes again, she found that she could still see only blackness.

"Kish, why is the room so dark?"

"Koneko-chan, all the lights are on, and you're staring up at the ceiling lamp, right now."

This simple statement threw Ichigo into a panic that made her tense up, and a second later, a chilling realization came to her, making her breathing shallow and labored.

"Ichigo, what is it? What's wrong?"

A few tears slipped from her eyes, and it was a while before she was able to speak. "Kish…I think the sound waved did mess with my head. I…I think I'm…I'm _blind_!"

**12**

Kisshu stared at her for a few seconds in utter silence.

"W-what?"

Ichigo sat up and it was clear she was trying desperately to hold back sobs. She reached out a hand, slowly waving it back and forth in the air. "Kish? W-where are you?"

His eyes widened as he realized that she truly could not see. A tear made its way down his cheek and he shot forward, grabbing her by the shoulders roughly.

"Ichigo! Ichigo, please…you can't be blind!"

Ichigo's eyes widened in fear. "I can't see you. Kish, I can't see you! KISH!"

Sobs erupted from her and the alien pulled her to his chest, burying his face in her soft hair, attempting to share her pain, to lessen it.

She was shocked to find that her head was wet, and when she wrapped her arms around the alien, she found that his shoulders were shaking with suppressed sobs.

She pulled away gently, reaching up a hand to stroke his wet face. "Kish…please don't cry…"

The boy reeled back as though electrocuted. "Why do you care? You probably hate me by now! This is all my fault!"

"Kish…"

"Ichigo, just listen! You never listen to me! I've loved you since I met you, and I could never dream of hurting you, and when I did, I was just following orders! And now…you're blind because of me…I'll just go away forever, okay? I want you to be happy, and I'm just hurting you."

Ichigo brushed a few tears out of her sightless eyes and frowned. "Kish, I…"

"I-I'll take you home now, koneko-chan."

_He just wanted me to be happy…he would sacrifice his feelings for me…not to mention his finger. Aoyama-kun…I…can't be with you anymore. I realize that, now. There is someone else who really belongs with me, and I shall be loyal to him._

"Kish…"

"I'll be right back. I need to get your weapon and pendant from Pai."

As he stepped toward the door, she slowly slid out of the bed, bare feet touching the floor. Concentrating, she found that she could hear the air moving out of his way as he passed, feel the vibration of his feet hitting the floor with every step. She heard the door open, and Kisshu greeted the newcomer.

"Hey, Pai. I need Ichigo's stuff that you took."

"Why, may I ask? Oh, she's awake."

"Yes, and she's _blind_ because of us. I'm going to get her things and take her back to her people."

"Kisshu! You can't do that! We need that Mew Aqua to awaken Deep Blue-sama!"

Ichigo felt Pai's feet hit the floor rather heavily as Kisshu pushed him aside. "Just try and stop me," the younger alien growled.

Pai grabbed Kisshu's arm and forced him back into the room. Ichigo heard a slight noise and felt the air displacement as the aliens summoned their weapons. She shot forward as they raised their weapons to attack each other, twisting Pai's wrist and gripping it hard, causing him to drop his fan, and grabbing Kisshu's sword with her other hand as he thrust it forward.

The boys gasped, and Ichigo took the opportunity of the following stunned silence to speak.

"Pai…d-don't hurt the one I care for the most. Please…don't."

Kisshu looked at her in alarm as blood began to push forth from between the fingers that gripped his sword and drip to the floor. "Koneko-chan, you're hurt."

Ichigo looked at Pai with her sightless eyes. "Don't…hurt…Kish."

She heard Kisshu draw in a quick breath, and she felt the air move as Pai nodded hesitantly. Ichigo released the death grip on his wrist and he snatched his hand away, spinning on his heel and exiting the room. She turned to Kisshu, who was standing there, sword still held in hand.

"Did…did you really mean that?"

Ichigo nodded and released his sword, wincing slightly. "Yeah, I did."

He enveloped her in a huge hug, throwing her off balance and sending them both crashing to the ground.

"I love you, koneko-chan!"

Ichigo nodded and buried her face in his chest. "I…I love you, too, Kish."

He pulled her into a sitting position, and stroked her face gently. Suddenly, Ichigo's hand shot up and grabbed his hand.

"Oh, Kish…" she whispered as her fingers gently brushed the knuckle joint wrappen in bandages where his little finger had been. "Kish, I'm so sorry…"

He reached up and took her chin with his fingers.

"I have no regrets, Ichigo."

She reached up to trace his features with her finger but the alien grabbed her hand, eyeing the gash on her palm.

"It's not that I don't enjoy this, koneko-chan," he said smirking, "but that cut looks pretty nasty. We'd better get bandages."

Ichigo smiled softly. "Thanks, Kish."

**Okay, everybody: here's the deal. You give me 5 reviews, you get Kichigo fluff. Think you can do that? **

**Ja ne, **

**Neko**


	7. Chapter 13&14

**Uwaaa...11 reviews. I died when I saw them all. I was like, WOW they really like this story...hmmm...**

**But now of course, because I know this, I'm going to have to ask for 8 reviews for the next chapter. Also, I will not be continuing One of a Kind until this story is completed. Sorry everybody!!**

**Ok. On with the review replies:**

**Suuz112:** Haha. The plot kind of formed in my mind as I went along, but think of him sacraficig a finger as a sybol of his undying love and willingness to sacrafice everything for Ichigo.

**Safaia Bara: **You raised a good point, and I shall explain it in the chapter below. nn

**pinky strawberry angel: **Nice posing. You should have been the coreographer for TMM. XD

**IchigoMashimaro:** That tree hugger will make an appearance later, when Ichigo dumps him. XD Oh, and he does die. I twisted TMM's original plot and made it all work out to both mine and hundreds of other KxI fangirls' standards.

**ForeverxKatie:** I'm glad you liked my story. nn And the fluff will come, but in small amounts at first, and then a LOT in later chapters. XD I can't wait!!

**Rizu Neko-Chan:** I'm sorry you couldn't understand some bits! TT I re-read this one and I think it's okay, but tell me if there's still stuff you don't get and I'll be happy to fix it/explain it to you.

**Ally Marton:** Haha. It's supposed to be slightly humorous to take some of the ominous parts, so it's slightly balanced.

**kajoo:** Ouch. I did that when I was little and it hurt like heck! But, I hope you enjoy future chappies!

**Bloom Momomiya:** Well, I wouldn't want to die, would I? XD

**Spiritcharm:** Aww...thankies!!

**mewpurin-chan:** Not very much fluff in these two chapters or the next, I think, but a LOT in later chapters. All you guys need to do is review!!

**And, on request from Safaia Bara, all reviewers get a slice of Strawberry Cheesecake!!**

**This chapter is dedicated to Gabbi-ta, one of my dearest freinds. Wave to her in Hong Kong, everybody!!**

**13**

"So, the old hag is blind?"

"Tart, Ichigo is not an old hag."

Ichigo grinned and took another bite of her food. "Thank you, Kish."

"Welcome."

Pai stood from the floor and walked out of the room. "I'm going to the lab," he called over his shoulder. "I have some research to finish."

"G'night!" Taruto called around the food in his mouth.

Pai raised a hand in acknowledgement, and then he shut the door. Taruto turned back to Ichigo and waved a hand in front of her eyes.

"Whoa, she really _is_ blind. Ah!"

Ichigo had felt the movement in the air and grabbed the young boy's hand. "Please don't do that, Tart. It's demeaning."

He pulled his hand away and rubbed it, trying to get a little circulation going in it again. "Um, just a question, if you can't see, how did you know where to aim for my hand?"

Ichigo took another bite and thought for a while, chewing.

"I think…since the machine took away my sight, it heightened my other senses. I could feel the air displacement and I could feel the vibration on the floor as you moved around. I could _hear_ the air moving around when I concentrated, and I judged how fast your hand was moving and where it was, judging on how hard the air flow was hitting my skin." She laughed suddenly. "I think I'm smarter, too. That all happened in a nanosecond!"

Kisshu blinked. "Is that how you stopped Pai and me earlier?"

Ichigo nodded. "Yep. I could feel your vibrations on the hardwood floor, and I heard and felt the air move when you started to fight."

Taruto swallowed. "Okay, that is totally freaky!"

Kisshu and Ichigo set down their plates and tackled him at the same time.

**14**

Kisshu was awoken by someone shaking him.

"Hunh…w-what?"

"Kish! Kish, wake up! I have an idea, but you have to help me!"

He sat up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. "Ichigo? What do you need help with?"

Se grabbed is hand and yanked him upwards, dragging him out the door and into the hall. "I want to try something in the training room."

"What? But, Ichigo, you could—"

"Kish! Be quiet! It's like, five o'clock, and I don't want to wake Pai."

Kisshu lowered his voice to a furious whisper. "Do you mind explaining to me why the _heck_ you dragged me out of bed at five AM?"

"I woke up around four-thirty and I had this great idea, I mean, what if I could hone my skills? What if it wasn't totally impossible for me to see?"

They reached the training room and walked inside; Kisshu flipped on the lights and shut the door. "What do you mean, 'not totally impossible to see'?"

"Do you know you snore a bit, Kish?"

He shook his head. "No, I didn't."

"Well, I woke up, and I could feel the vibrations from your snoring when I concentrated. Something happened, I don't know what, but I could create a picture of your basic outline in my mind using the vibrations that bounced back, and then I had the thought, what if I could use this to fight? What if I wasn't completely helpless?"

"You mean…"

"Can I use your swords?"

"…Alright but I'm putting you on level one and I'm coming in there at the first sign of danger." He handed her his swords, flinching visibly as he thought about what he was letting her do.

Ichigo grinned and pushed the door open to the combat room, stepping inside and closing it behind her.

Kisshu walked over to the computer, instructing it to create a level one Chimera Anima. When it appeared, he subconsciously held his breath.

Ichigo closed her eyes and took up a fighting stance, and when the Anima leapt at her, she struck out with the swords once, twice, and it de-atomized.

She turned to him with a grin on her face and shouted on word, a single word that made him look at her with new eyes.

"_Next_!"

--

Pai rose from his bed and walked out the door, getting himself something from the kitchen and eating it slowly.

He had examined Mew Ichigo's weapon the night before, scowling at the shape, design and color. It was completely un-aerodynamic, full of unnecessary bulkiness and curves; and yet it managed to channel a good amount of power from Mew Ichigo. It was amazing that she and her teammates had beaten them so many times.

He walked down the hall slowly, stopping at Taruto's room and peeking at the sleeping form inside. The young boy was sleeping on his side, long hair messily strewn over his pillow and face, features devoid of emotion: the very definition of serenity.

Pai sighed. Life had been so much easier before Deep Blue had come in to the picture; they were just three young kids, enjoying life, and then they were sent away to reclaim a planet from enemies described in stories as 'malicious' and 'barbaric'. He remembered how he had taught himself to think, how to remain calm in almost any situation in order to protect the two naïve individuals he considered his own brothers.

He shut the door again quietly, walking a few doors down to Kisshu's room, only to push open the door and find both beds empty. He resumed his walk down the hallway to the training room, where he new they must be. After all, Kisshu was not unknown to wake up early on random mornings and head to the training room to work off the stress that had prevented him from sleeping.

Pai walked into the room without knocking, and was surprised to see Kisshu at the computer instead of slashing away at Chimera Animas.

"What's up, Kish? Aren't you usually fighting?"

The alien whirled around to face his elder, a look of joy on his face. "Pai! Guess what?"

"What? Judging by your grin, it's something unusually good."

Kisshu pointed at the window. "Check it out!"

Pai looked through it and his legs nearly gave way in surprise. Ichigo was doing flips in the air, landing on her feet perfectly, slashing at the Chimera Anima coming at her. When Pai looked again, he took in the battered Anima and realized that she was winning.

"H-how is she doing that if she can't see?"

Kisshu explained to Pai what Ichigo had told him and Taruto last night, and what she had told him this morning. When he had finished, Ichigo shouted for the next one and she began fighting again almost immediately.

Kisshu chuckled. "She woke me up at five today and dragged me here, asked me if she could borrow my swords, and then started slashing away. Now, she's on level twelve. Actually, thirteen."

"Th-thirteen? Really? She might actually be a formidable enemy in the future."

They watched her for a while, and Pai broke the silence again.

"How long have you two been in here?"

Kisshu shrugged. "I dunno, maybe two hours or so? Judging on how hungry I am..."

Pai nodded, returning his attention to Ichigo, who had just defeated another Chirema Anima and was walking out of the combat section and over to the two aliens.

Ichigo waved at Pai. "Hey! How long have you been here?"

The alien blinked. "A few minutes."

"Hm. Kish?"

"Ya?"

"Are you hungry?"

The alien nodded. "I'm starving. What do you want to eat?"

Ichigo thought for a few seconds, and then snapped her fingers. "Got any pancakes?"

Kisshu blinked. "What are…pancakes?"

Ichigo giggled. "And here I was, thinking you knew all about human food. If you help me, I'll tell you how to make us some."

**I wonder what'll happen next now that Ichigo know how to fight, even with her disabilities, ne?**

**I need 8 reviews to continue!!**


	8. Chapter 15&16

**WAHOO next chappie!! I got 10 reviews, and I am expecting 8 reviews again to post the next chapter. **

**Be warned, readers, that I start eighth grade tomorrow and therefore probably won't update as quickly. But, I'll do my best. n.n**

**Bloom Momomiya:** You have sais?? Where'd you get them?? I have been looking for a real pair of sais to buy for years now!! Lucky person!!

**mewpurin-chan:** Hmm...you have raised a valid point, my friend. How exactly IS Ichigo getting over this so quickly? I am going to say that because she has these newfound powers and she can technically 'see', she is consoled by this fact and is not spazzing about being blind. Cookie for you for being an in-depth reader!!

**pinky strawberry angel:** Yes, her enemies did help her. And, knowing Pai, he's not too happy about this, but he still technically owes Ichigo for making her blind, and this will come up in a later chapter. Shh! Don't tell anyone!! XD

**Suuz112:** Sushi-chan!! Always good to get a review from you. Haha. It is pretty gross that he lost a finger, but it is essential that that happened for one of the later chapters to fit in. You just have to wait and see!!

**ForeverxKatie:** Taruto was the one who couldn't pass level thirteen. And I think Ichigo is just having fun with the fact that she can fight just as well, if not better, then when she could see. That's part of the reason she's not completely spazzing about the fact that she's blind.

**Spiritcharm:** Thankies!! I hope you like this chappie!

**TazzybizzyNya:** Lol. Copying and pasting is always a good way to get and authoress' attention. XD

**TaraneePheonix:** I will. And thankies. People seem to really like this story. n.n

**Safaia Bara:** No, Taruto never does know when to stop talking. But, if he did, I have a suspicion that Purin-chan wouldn't like him as much. XD

**kajoo:** The fluff starts here!! Fear not!!

* * *

**15**

"This is really good, koneko-chan! It took a while, but at least they're edible."

Ichigo laughed. She had had a difficult time explaining to him how to mix the batter, how to pour it, how too cook it; all to get the perfect pancakes.

She ate the last bite of hers, and Kisshu took their plates to the kitchen, returning a moment later.

"So," he said, after an impending silence, "what do you want to do today?"

Ichigo shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe...could you tell me a bit more about yourself?"

Kisshu blinked in surprise, and then he looked at her, confused. "What do you want to know?"

"I don't know...like, just, what your planet is like, your culture...stuff like that."

"Uh...okay...as of a few months ago, which was when I last saw my planet, it resembled a gigantic ice cube, with everyone huddled underground for warmth and shelter. Our houses aren't really that great: sometimes they're just wooden shacks or something.

"We don't really have a ruler, but we all believe in the Deus, the Gods. Ventus, God of wind, Unda, God of water, Terra, God of Earth and Incendia, God of fire. It's not a very strict religion or anything, but we do have chants and stuff to help people in birth, or enter another stage of life, or to help someone enter the afterlife, or to help them heal. You know; the basics."

Ichigo blinked. "To…heal?"

Kisshu shrugged. "You know…like if you're sick or something, we have chants that are supposed to help you feel better."

Ichigo smiled. "Oh…how do they go? Do you remember any of them?"

Kisshu struggled to remember what he had been taught in the orphanage so long ago. "I'm a little rusty...I'll see if I remember it, though." He took a deep breath. "You cross your fingers, and the people surrounding the person who is sick say, 'Ventus, Unda, Terra quod Incendia, caput capitis meus dico. Servo animus de…' It translates pretty roughly as, 'Wind, Water, Earth and Fire, heed my call. Save the soul of…'."

"Cool! Is that in your language?"

"Yep."

Ichigo tried to remember what he had said, her tongue fumbling with the unfamiliar words. "Vemdus...Hoonda, Terra...kod Insendia?"

Kisshu laughed. "I'll teach it to you, if you like..."

Ichigo nodded and he reached out, taking her hand. She blushed.

The alien smiled. "Repeat after me... Ventus, Unda..."

"Ventus…Unda…"

--

Kisshu rolled over on the floor and looked up at Ichigo. Her face was the definition of beauty, of peace. Her long lashes covered chocolate eyes, and a few stray wisps of ruby red hair moved as she breathed in and out.

As he watched her, he renewed the silent pledge he had made to himself when she had confessed to him the day before. Even though she only had tomorrow and the day after with him before she had to return to her friends, he felt his thoughts sink into his very bones, and he whispered them to the night.

"_I will protect you."_

**16**

"Yes!" Ichigo shouted, punching the air.

Kisshu pressed a button, causing the microphone to pop out of the table. "Awesome, Ichigo! You beat level seventeen! You might actually catch up to me!"

Ichigo put her hands on her knees and attempted to catch her breath. "Is that…a bet…Kisshu?"

The alien smirked. "What if it is, koneko-chan?"

"Fine, then. If I beat level twenty, I want you to…admit I'm a better fighter!"

Kisshu grinned. "And if you don't beat level twenty, you have to kiss me."

Ichigo shrugged. The idea didn't seem so bad anymore. "Bring it on!"

He smirked again and set the level to twenty, pressing 'go'.

A large, demon-like Chimera Anima with razor sharp claws appeared ten feet away from her, tense and ready to attack, which it proceeded to do with surprising swiftness. She flipped out of the way and slid down the Anima's back, whipping out one of Kisshu's swords and digging it in.

The creature screamed and threw her off; she flipped in the air and landed on her feet, brandishing the swords. The creature attacked again, slashing at Ichigo with its claws, and she leapt out of the way, the swords digging into the Anima's head and back again on her way down.

However, the creature had learned. It turned quickly, throwing her against the wall and cutting deep into her arm with its claws.

Kisshu stood up quickly, hitting another button and terminating the Chimera Anima himself. He teleported into the room, kneeling beside the fallen cat girl. "Ichigo! Are you alright?"

She sat up, leaning against the wall. She had a hand pressed to her upper arm, and blood was seeping through her fingers. "My arm hurts. Really...badly..."

Kisshu gently pried her fingers away, gasping when he saw the deep cut on her arm, a sliver of bone clearly seen.

He closed his eyes for a moment, thinking while she shivered from shock and pain, and then he reached up and took hold of Ichigo's chin.

"Kish? Wha—"

He pressed his lips against hers, a soft, golden, sparkling light slowly emitting from his mouth and entering her body. The sparks zeroed in on the cut, quickly sewing it up and replacing lost blood. They made their way down to her cut hand next, repeating the process.

When he pulled away, she was shocked to find that all the pain was gone, and when she reached up to touch the area where the cut had been, all she found was a slightly raised scar. She unwound the bandages on her hand and felt it, only to find that the cut from when she had stopped Kisshu's sword had vanished when she fingered her palm.

She turned to where she could hear Kisshu's labored breath coming from. "K-Kish? You can heal people?"

"Y-yeah, but it's used only as a last resort, usually, because if you give to much energy to heal yourself or the person, your body could consume itself in an attempt to replace lost energy and you could die."

"A-are you going to die?"

He grinned. "I will eventually, like everyone, but not now, no. It j-just took a lot out of me, and I need to...c-catch my breath."

She grinned. "That's good. Thank you. Hey, I just had a thought. Can you…is it possible for you heal my brain so I can see again?"

He frowned. "No. That injury is too extensive. Even if I gave you all of my energy and more and died, you would still be blind." He sighed and there were a few moments of silence, and then he mumbled, "I'm going to miss you."

"What?"

"I'm going to miss having you around, when you have to go back to Shirogane and…_Aoyama_ tomorrow."

"Um, Kish, I've been meaning to talk to you about that..."

A great hope lifted Kisshu's soul. "You want to stay here?"

She shook her head. "No, I can't. I have to fight for the Earth and everyone is probably worrying about me. I was wondering, though...if I could be your girlfriend?"

Kisshu stared at her, dumbstruck.

"_What?"_

"I mean, do you have an illusion machine or something that an enable you to look human? We could be together in secret, and no-one would ever know, but if you don't want to..."

"Koneko-chan…Ichigo. Are you _seriously_ asking me if you can be my girlfriend?"

She nodded, looking at the floor, even though she couldn't see his face.

He smiled, so happily, so lightly and ecstatically that he subconsciously began to float off the floor. Her eyes became alarmed when she found that she could no longer feel his vibrations clearly. "Kish? Where are you?"

He took her chin in his hand, looking into her eyes, which were now just about all white. "I'm right here," he said, and kissed her gently.

She pulled him closer, kissing him back, and they broke away smiling. Ichigo stared at his face. "Is that a 'yes'?"

He grinned and pulled her in for another kiss.

"That is a most definite 'yes', koneko-chan."

**More fluff to come!! All it takes is 8 reviews!!**

**And yes, I know these may seem like filler chapters, but keep in mid that in every chapter that I write something is always in there that comes up later, no matter how small. So, yes.**

**Ja for now!!**


	9. Chapter 17&18

**17**

"So...you have to go back tomorrow. At least I'll be able to see you, now."

Kisshu had stolen a small orb on a string from Pai's room that created an illusion of a human over the wearer. Ichigo had resolved to break up with Masaya as soon as she got the chance.

Ichigo put down her empty dinner plate and turned to where she could feel Kisshu's vibrations coming from. "Kish? What do you look like as a human?"

"I have blue eyes, messy, short brown hair, and my skin is a little tanner, but other than that, nothing much has changed. Oh, except for my ears: they're round."

She smiled. "Do you think anyone would recognize you?"

Kisshu laughed. "I don't even think Pai would recognize me."

"That's great! Oh, I almost forgot, I have something to do before I go. Pai owes me."

She stood up, feeling her way along one of the walls until she got to the door. On her way, she grabbed the two swords that Kisshu had taken from the weapons' store and then she headed out of the room. Over her shoulder, she called, "I'll be right back!"

She felt the air move as Kisshu nodded, and she disappeared down the hall. She meandered through the ship for awhile, until she found the room that she knew to be Pai's lab. She knocked on the door and walked inside.

Pai looked up from the code he was entering into the computer, and his expression took on an annoyed air. "What do you want?"

She held out the swords in one hand. "I was wondering...over the last two days, I've gotten used to fighting with these and I was wondering if you could switch my weapon for my Mew form...?"

She felt Pai tense, and she immediately reworded her question.

"I mean, it technically was your machine that made me blind, and I feel you owe me for that, but...I'm asking you as a friend, not an enemy looking for repayment."

Pai blinked. Ichigo, their greatest enemy...a _friend_? He sighed. "In order to regain my honor, I am bound to answer your request Mew Ichigo, however it may hinder my mission. I'll...have your pendant ready by morning."

She smiled gratefully and walked out of the room, setting the swords in front of Pai and leaving him to his troubled thoughts.

**18**

Kisshu spooned the cereal into his mouth and frowned, chewing softly. "You have to go today. Dang."

Ichigo sighed. "Yeah, and it'll take a while before my paranoid parents will let their blind daughter out on a date again. Ah well, that's life."

Kisshu laughed. "You're certainly optimistic, koneko-chan!"

"Yeah..."

He smirked. "I'm gonna miss having you around, though. I'm happy I got to spend time with you without you slapping me and running away, like usual."

She grinned, her off-white eyes glinting humorously. "I still have to do that; nobody can know we're dating until the war is over."

Kisshu pouted. "Aww, koneko-chan, you sure know how to ruin the moment!"

"Hey, c'mon, I'm only stating the obvious!"

"...I don't like the obvious. I like to surprise people, like this!"

He set down his plate and pounced on her, poking her in her sides and making his fingers to scurry over her stomach.

Ichigo began to laugh hysterically and she writhed about on the floor. "K-Kish, s-s-stop t-tickling me!"

He laughed evilly. "No way, koneko-chan. This is your just punishment for ruining my fun!"

She shrieked and rolled over, escaping his hands, and then she pounced on him, tickling him in his ribs. He snorted and then he collapsed on the floor, rolling about to attempt a futile escape and laughing loudly.

"Okay! Okay, koneko-chan, I give!"

She giggled and let up, and Kisshu sat up quickly, pulling her into an embrace.

"I'm really sorry that you're blind koneko-chan, but so, so happy that you have forgiven us. How can I thank you?"

Ichigo smiled. "You repaying me right now," she said, and snuggled closer to him.


	10. Chapter 19&20

**OMG!! I haven't updated in SO LONG!! (bows) SORRYSORRYSORRYSORRYSORRY!! T.T And thank you to all those lovely people that did review! School has been evil beyond belief (honors math in particular). But, then again, it's been good, incase any of you actually care. xD If not, skip the next para and read the story. I made friends, settled in, got a new laptop, and was voted Most Artistic in the entire grade. heehee.**

**kk! NOW! on with chapters 19 and 20!**

**19**

The two groups faced each other.

On one end of the clearing there stood the Mews, Keiichiro, Ryo and Masaya; on the other end stood Ichigo, Kisshu, Tart and Pai. Ichigo held her shoes and socks in her hand, and she was dressed in her now-clean jeans and T-shirt.

Kisshu, Ichigo and Ryo stepped away from the groups, walking toward the center. Kisshu held Ichigo by the arm, and Ryo held the Mew Aqua.

They stopped a distance away from each other, tension thick in the air. Ryo set the orb of Mew Aqua on the ground, rolling it towards the alien and Ichigo. Kisshu let go of Ichigo's arm with a final squeeze, and she walked towards Ryo with her eyes closed.

Kisshu picked up the Mew Aqua and with a nod from Pai, the three aliens teleported, leaving their enemies alone in the clearing. Immediately, all of the Mews pounced on Ichigo.

"Ichigo-san!"

"Ichigo!"

"Ichigo."

"Ichigo, na no da!"

Ichigo stood there and hugged them for what seemed like an eternity, and then she pulled away, walking over to Keiichiro and Ryo with her eyes still closed. She hugged them in turn, and Ichigo felt the slight heat that came off of Ryo's face when she hugged him. Next, with a weight in her heart, she walked over to Masaya.

The boy embraced her and Ichigo stiffened for a moment, and then hugged him back. She turned her head and kissed him on the lips for a few seconds, and when she pulled away, she kept her eyes closed and thought for a moment.

When she finally spoke, it was with a voice tinged with sadness.

"I…I don't love you, anymore, Aoyama-kun. Well, I still do, but it's more of a sibling love, I guess. Can…we just be friends?"

There was a stunned silence that hung thick in the air for a few seconds around the two teens, until Masaya spoke.

"But…why?"

"There's…someone else. I hope you can forgive me."

The boy blinked, and then sighed as he accepted what she wanted. "Alright…but, Ichigo…who—"

"I'm not going to say who it is, so don't ask."

"…O-okay. I'll…see you in school, then…ah, Momomiya-san."

She turned back to the main group as she heard Masaya turn and walk away.

Retasu walked forward. "Ichigo, why…"

"I don't want to talk about it, okay guys? Just…leave it."

Suddenly, all the Mews were hugging her again, and Ryo said, "Did the aliens treat you civilly?"

Ichigo nearly laughed at the simplicity of the question, and the deepness with which it would have to be answered.

"They…um…yeah, they did."

He grunted, showing his acceptance of the answer. As her friends pulled away, however, she cleared her throat.

"They…well, Pai created a machine that shed high pitched noise waves, and they knocked me out with it; that's how they kidnapped me. Unfortunately, it um…exploded and it got out of control, and Kisshu stopped it by breaking it in half. He actually lost a finger because of it, and he stopped the noise, but I…"

Ryo drew in a quick breath, and she felt the vibrations threading through the ground quicken as his heart rate increased. "What happened to you? Why are your eyes still closed?"

She laughed. "It doesn't matter if they're open or not; I can see you anyways. Your vibrations give me a basic outline of your body."

"My…vibrations?"

"I can feel your heartbeat through the ground and the vibrations bounce off of me and back to you," she explained, wiggling her toes, "and if I concentrate, I can feel and hear the air move when you do."

Zakuro put a hand on Ichigo's shoulder. "What happened, Ichigo?"

The cat girl sighed. "Um…the machine's sound waves…altered my brain."

Ryo stepped forward quickly and put his hands on either side of her face.

"Ichigo," he said, his voice urgent, "open your eyes!"

She complied, and he reeled back when his sky blue-eyes met with her white ones. "I'm kind of…blind," she said bluntly.

Ryo gasped, and she stepped forward, reaching up a hand and touching his face, her dry fingers meeting wet cheeks. "Don't cry, Shirogane-san."

"I'm sorry," he said.

She laughed suddenly. "I forgave the aliens, Shirogane-san; what makes you think that I won't forgive you, too?"

He relaxed, his worries that she would forever blame him melting away. "Thank you, strawberry."

A thought hit her suddenly. "Do my parents know?"

"No, they don't know about you being a Mew Mew; we told them you had gone on vacation with the other girls. You're lucky it was a school break last week and this week."

She giggled. "Yeah, I am. Although, I'm going to have to find some way to explain the blindness thingy..."

Keiichiro nodded. "Yes, but for now, let's go back to the Café and eat lunch. Sound good?"

His suggestion was met with a chorus of 'yes's' and the group set off down the path.

**20**

"Ichigo, wake up! It's time for school!"

The cat girl rolled over, only succeeding to further entangle herself in her the sheets of her bed. "Nyang…"

Her mother marched up the stairs and into her daughter's room, tearing open the closet and extracting Ichigo's school uniform. She shook her daughter's shoulder and thrust the clothes at her.

"Ichigo, get up! You only have half an hour!"

Ichigo sat bolt upright, grabbing the clothes with a cry of, "Nya! I'm so _late_!"

Her mother laughed and exited he room, walking down the stairs slowly.

_I know she hit her head over the vacation and she can't see, now,_ she thought, _but everything seems so normal…_

Ichigo came pounding down the stairs a few minutes later, her hair down and bouncing against her shoulders.

Sakura blinked. "Don't you usually put your hair up?"

Ichigo continued to shovel her breakfast into her mouth. "I couldn't find the ribbons, so I couldn't put it up. I'm just gonna leave it down today."

_Well, almost normal…_

Ichigo grabbed her bag and rushed out the door, crashing into someone and falling on her back.

"Yeesh, koneko-chan. You okay?"

As a hand helped her up, she stuttered, "K-Kish! What are you doing here? What if you get seen?"

"Oh, hello, son. Who are you?"

Ichigo froze as she heard her mom's voice.

She nearly passed out when Kisshu answered.

"Oh, hi! You must be Ichigo's mom. Nice to finally meet you, Momomiya-san."

Ichigo grabbed Kisshu by the arm and pulled him away as he waved. "_Please_ tell me you're in human disguise?"

Kisshu tapped the necklace, making a slight dinging noise. "Yep. And, by the way, I went on Pai's computer and tapped into the school network, and you have a new person in your class. All of your classes, actually."

"_What_?"

Kisshu laughed. "Hey, go easy on me; I'm the new kid!"

Ichigo pouted, although the happiness in her eyes was undeniable. "Oh, you cunning devil!"

"And, as of now, we're walking to school every day together."

She giggled, and then pulled away, grabbing him by the hand and dragging him along the sidewalk. "School! We're going to be so late!"

"Ichigo! Ichigo stop!"

"What? Why? We only have a few minutes!"

Kisshu sighed and dug his heels into the concrete, stopping her in her tracks. He spun her into him, wrapping his arm around her waist. "Koneko-chan, you know, there's this nifty little thing called teleportation."

She blushed. "Oh."

He concentrated and lifted the pendant away from his skin, and the two were swept away on a wave of nothingness. When they materialized and the sounds of school life surrounded them, Ichigo turned to Kisshu with a frown on her face. "Kish, how do you know where my school is?"

He gave her a quick peck on the lips, causing her to smile. He grinned. "One, call me Chris. Chris Shternah. Two, how do you _think_ I know where your school is?"

Ichigo's eyes widened and she gasped. "You stalker!"

He grabbed her again and ran his fingers through her hair. "I like your hair down, it looks nice."

Her face turned a shade similar to the color of a tomato and she hastily backed away, avoiding passerby and heading toward the school building. "Come on, _Chris_; it's time for school!"

Kisshu smiled and followed her pathway through the crowd. He loved Ichigo when she was flustered.

**Kish...how all of us wish you were real...maybe you are out there somewhere, reading this fanfiction and laughing your head off...?**

**Hey, a person can dream, right?**

**I will update sooner, I PROMISE, and I have no review number requirement. My gift to you guys. xD btw, since I missed it, MERRY CHRISTMAHAUNAQUANZA AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR! oh, and as of today, BARROK OBAMA IS THE 44 PRESIDENT OF THE US!! **

**May we wish him luck...44 is the unluckiest number in all of chinese culture...**


	11. Chapter 21&22

**Hello peoples! I'm Baaack!! Many apologies, but school is taking its toll on me, mostly related to the fact that I'm starting highschool next year...yipes. Also, I have the flu. Fun, huh? **

**21**

"Ichigo Momomiya, could you please answer the equation written on the board?"

Ichigo gulped. "Um, I…could you read the problem?"

The teacher laughed. "Well, you could see the board if you opened your eyes. Try it sometime, preferably now."

Kisshu tapped her shoulder, and she turned around. "The problem is fourteen divided by seven, times three point two."

"Thanks, Chris!" turning back to the teacher, she said, "Twenty two point four."

The teacher blinked. "That…that is correct, Ichigo, but Chris, in the future, please do not tell students the answers."

Kisshu shrugged. "I didn't give her the answer; just the question. And besides, it's not like she could see the board."

"What do you mean, she couldn't see the board? If she would just open her eyes and stop trying to sleep, she could have seen the question for herself—"

The teacher was cut short as Ichigo stared at her with her milky-white, sightless eyes.

"Sensei, my mom called the principal and told him that, due to an unfortunate incident, I became blind, but apparently the principal didn't pass on the info to you?"

The teacher shook her head, dumbstruck, as did the rest of the students in the class. Eventually, the teacher shook her head to clear it, and with a final, lingering glance at Ichigo, she called the class' attention and continued the lesson.

Kisshu tapped Ichigo's shoulder, and she turned around with a questioning look on her face.

"You know, koneko-chan, I might need a date for lunch to make up for my sticking up for you, and all…"

She grinned. "I would have sat with you even if you hadn't asked."

He smirked slightly and they returned their attentions to the teacher.

---

"Do you like it?"

Kisshu took another bite of the steamed fish and rice he had bought from the cafeteria. "It's really good. How's yours?"

Ichigo stirred her soup with a spoon, letting the steam escape. "It's okay. I'm not a very big fan of cooked carrots, though. You want them?"

"Sure."

He took them out of the soup with his chopsticks and put them on his fish. "So," he said offhandedly, "do you like school?"

She shrugged. "It's a bit hard for me sometimes, like math. But, today in class, you told me the problem and I just suddenly knew the answer. Strange, huh?"

He thought for a moment, staring up at the clouds in the sky. "Maybe it's another effect from the machine. You know, like you said you could think faster."

"Hmm. Maybe. One thing's for certain, though: I'm going to have to learn Braille."

Kisshu's brow wrinkled. "What's…Braille?"

"It's an alphabet of raised dots that blind people learn so that they can read. I hope I don't have to transfer schools."

The alien smiled. "If you go, I go."

She grinned. "Thanks, _Chris_. It's very nice to know."

About thirty meters away from the couple sitting on the grass was a black haired boy. He watched the two chat and laugh with each other, and a sick feeling rose up inside him.

_So, this is the 'someone' she was talking about. Why him, instead of me? There's nothing special about him…_

_**You want to get back at her; you know you do.**_

Masaya whipped around, searching for the source of the voice in his head. _Who are you?_

_**I am you. You are me. You are a figment of my existence and imagination, a pawn with its own wills and desires. And I can help you get what you want.**_

_What…do I want, exactly?_

_**Revenge, of course. Revenge on that boy, who has taken her from you. Let me take over this mind and body for a while, and I will get you what you want.**_

_I'll…I'll think about it. Um, who are you, exactly?_

_**My name…is Deep Blue.**_

**22**

"Oh, man, I'm so glad that day is over."

Kisshu laughed. "It wasn't exactly the best day, huh? Everybody kept coming up to you and waving their hands in your face."

Ichigo lay down on the grass in the park and sighed. "Yeah. At least I don't have any homework today because it was the first day back from break. I'll have a lot tomorrow, though. Fun, fun, fun."

Kisshu took the pendant off and hovered beside her, legs crossed. "Koneko-chan? Do you want to do anything this afternoon?"

She shook her head. "Nah, I can't. I have…work! I'm late again!"

She stood up quickly and brushed herself off. "Kish, could you teleport me to the café? Ryo is going to kill me if I'm late."

The alien laughed. "That seems a little harsh…"

He wrapped his arms around her waist and teleported them to the clearing behind the café. Ichigo turned and began to walk away, but Kisshu grabbed her wrist and spun her into his chest.

"Nah, nah," he teased, "not without a reward!"

She grinned and stood on her tip-toes, pecking him on the lips. "I'll see you after work, Kish," she shouted over her shoulder as she rushed inside.

**Aren't they cute together? xD**


	12. Chapter 23&24

**23**

Masaya sat at his desk, dutifully doing all the homework that his teachers had assigned him. Suddenly, a searing pain ripped through his mind and he cried out.

_**Have you thought about my offer?**_

…_Yes…_

_**AND?**_

The word ripped through his mind like a knife, making him wince.

_I need more time. I haven't decided yet._

_**Fine. Just keep thinking about that boy who took Ichigo from you, the boy who I know you want to hate with your very soul.**_

_**Also keep in mind that I can help you kill him.**_

The voice vanished and Masaya sighed, staring at his homework again.

_This 'Deep Blue" guy is right. I do hate that boy for taking Ichigo away from me._

…He's_ right…_

---

Taruto walked into the control room, sitting at the table across from Pai.

"Yo, Pai. Have you given Deep Blue the Mew Aqua yet?"

The elder alien shook his head.

"No. He has not made an appearance in several days, so I have not been able to. He must be doing something important."

Taruto grunted and then he looked back up at Pai.

"Have you seen Kish lately? He's been gone all day."

Pai shrugged. "He's probably gone to spy on that Mew again. Just ignore him and maybe this mission will succeed."

**24**

Kisshu—Chris—walked into café Mew Mew hesitantly. He tapped the bell on the desk and immediately Retasu walked over a welcoming smile on her face.

"Hello, can I help you?"

"Umm, yeah," Kisshu began hesitantly, "is Ichigo's shift over?"

Retasu blinked at the use of Ichigo's first name with no suffix, and then realization hit her.

"Oh! Are you Ichigo-chan's boyfriend?"

Kisshu smiled slightly at the term. "I guess I am. Is she here?"

He was getting very nervous that she would recognize him, but then he remembered that he looked completely different in his human form and he relaxed again.

Retasu turned and called, "Ichigo-chan! Someone is here for you!" Turning back to him she said, "Her shift ends in about five minutes. You can sit down at a table if you want."

Kisshu nodded and walked over to the nearest one, sitting down lightly in the chair next to it. He stared into space for a few moments and then a bright girl bounced up to him with a pad and paper, asking cheerfully, "May I take your order na no da?"

"Uh, no, that's okay. I'm just waiting for Ichigo."

"Oh…" Purin said, "What's your name?"

"Chris."

"Chris what?"

"Chris Shternah."

Purin grinned in her childish, charming way. "Nice to meet you, Shternah-oniisan!"

Kisshu blinked. _Oniisan…? That's a first…and by the enemy, too…This day just gets weirder and weirder. First a human school, and then a psycho martial arts dude and now this._

"Ki-Chris? Is that you?"

Kisshu looked up sharply and found Ichigo staring at him with a questioning look in her eyes. He smiled. "Yep! Ready to go? I have a surprise for you."

She grinned and turned to Purin. "Tell Shirogane I'm going, okay?"

"Be sure to be here early tomorrow, baka strawberry," a voice whispered in her ear.

"Nya!" Ichigo jumped and her cat appendages popped out, her tail thrashing angrily. "Don't do—!"

Ryo's eyes became alarmed and he jumped forward, clamping his hands over her cat ears. "Be careful!"

She frowned and pulled his hands away. "Ryo, there's no-one here except Chris."

The blond started. "He knows?"

She nodded. "Yep. Now, if you don't mind, I think Chris has something to show me…?"

Kisshu grinned and took Ichigo's arm, leading her out the door and out into the park. "Man," he said when they were out of earshot of the café, "Shirogane's horrible, calling you a baka."

She smiled. "Nah. He calls me that a lot, but it's more like a nickname. …Kinda like you call me 'koneko-chan'."

Kisshu smiled and he led her off into the trees, pointing out roots and rocks in the barely noticeable path he was following.

After a while, Kisshu bent over and guided Ichigo through some bushes, taking care to unhook her clothes from the few branches they got snagged on. Suddenly, Ichigo frowned.

"There're vibrations up ahead," she said. "It feels like a small animal. No, a lot of small animals."

Kisshu grinned. "Yep. Oh, be quiet, now."

They stopped and after a few seconds of silence, Ichigo's eyes grew wide and she grinned. "Oh, my God, Kish. How did you find them?"

He smiled back. "I was just flying over and I heard them meowing."

They sat there until the sun went down and Ichigo had to go home, Ichigo making the shape of the stray cat and its two newborn kittens in her mind with the vibrations from their hearts, Kisshu enjoying her company.


	13. Chapter 25&26

Here is the next chapter, FINALLY. I'm sorry it took so long, I'm ashamed to admit I completely forgot about this story!! My bad!!

**25**

Masaya Aoyama walked the halls of his school deep in thought for the next few days. His grades plummeted and he stopped going to his afterschool activities. Only one thought seemed to circulate through his mind.

_Deep Blue is right. Deep Blue can help me get Ichigo back. Deep Blue is right._

And then about a week after Chris Shternah had entered the world, the thought became too much for him and his soul was consumed by darkness.

---

"Hey, Pai?" Taruto asked. "I haven't seen Kish in a while, have you?"

As usual, Pai was fixing something, and didn't bother to look up. "Nope."

"Do you think we should look for him?"

"I don't care."

"Come on, Pai—I know you care."

Pai sighed. "Taruto, look, I have to fix this computer. We can't track Mew Aqua or contact Deep Blue-sama without it."

Taruto shrugged and disappeared. "Suit yourself."

---

He appeared in a clearing filled with long grass reaching nearly to his waist. He looked around for a moment and then he sighed.

"I am so bored."

For a few seconds there wasn't a sound and then a joyful cry rang about the flowers, making the butterflies scatter into the afternoon air.

"Taru-Taru!"

Taruto was thrown backwards and then Purin was looking down at him, sitting beside him on the ground.

"Hey Taru-Taru! What are you doing here na no da?"

Before he could stop himself, the words were out of his mouth. "I'm looking for Kisshu."

Purin tapped her chin, thinking. "I haven't seen Kisshu-san in a while na no da. Not since you kidnapped Ichigo-oneechan."

Taruto frowned. "That wasn't my plan, monkey-girl. It was Pai's."

"Oh."

They sat there in awkward silence for few moments until a question came to Taruto's mind.

"Hey, monkey-girl, why are you out here, anyway?"

She grinned, standing up and twirling around, and then flopping down beside him on the grass.

"This is one of my favorite spots na no da!"

Another silence followed, and this time it was Purin who broke it.

"Hey, Taru-kun?"

He turned his head toward her. "Yeah?"

"I have candy…do you want one? They're good and sweet."

Taruto was considering the offer when the communicator in his pocket vibrated. He pulled it out, pressing a glowing blue button and speaking into in like a walkie-talkie.

"Hello?"

"Taruto, this is Pai."

The voice that came through the device was crystal clear, so clear that is you hadn't seen the small device in Taruto's hand you could have sworn that Pai was standing right there.

Taruto sighed. "What do you want?"

"There's a small space that I need to access and I can't fit. Come back to the ship and help me."

The younger alien rolled his eyes and hung up. "Fine, I'll be right there."

As he lifted off into the sky, he turned back at a cry of, "Taru-Taru!" and caught the candy-drop that was thrown at him. Then he disappeared and Purin was left alone in the clearing again.

"See you, Taru-Taru," she whispered.

Then her pendant buzzed and blinked orange, and Ryo's voice rang out.

"Purin-chan, we need you at the café!"

"Okay, oniisan," she said, and then she took off at a run.

---

They were all sitting around the table—Ryo, Keiichiro, Ichigo, Retasu, Purin, Mint, Zakuro and Chris—as Ryo briefed them.

"Alright, we had a huge energy burst in the park about half an hour ago, and then it just disappeared. We believe the subject is an alien and he or she might have teleported to another dimension."

Zakuro nodded. "That seems plausible. You don't know the identity of the subject, though?"

Ryo shook his head. "We haven't found that out yet."

They talked for a while more, but the only one who didn't add to the discussion was Kisshu.

_I wonder if her knows who it is…_Ichigo wondered.

**26**

Masaya—or at least, Masaya's body—stood in a remote clearing in an unnamed dimension.

He clenched his fish, conjuring a long, sharp sword in the air before him.

"Excellent," Masaya cackled in a deep voice that was not his, taking the sword in his grip. "I should be able to transform into my own form in a matter of hours. Then I can finally rid the earth of those pesky Mew Mews."

His hollow laugh filled the night air and small animals scurried for cover, afraid of this new predator.

---

The eight were still sitting around the table when the alarm went off.

Ryo took a glance at the computer monitor and shouted, "Chimera Anima in the park!"

All the Mews jumped up and rushed out of the café, Chris included. Ryo ran after him, "Yo! Wait here, we can handle it!"

Keiichiro grabbed a coat and ran out after the Mews and Ryo. "You really should stay here, Shternah-san."

"No," Chris yelled back. "There could be trouble!"

They rushed to the park, where they found a large plant Anima destroying the fountain, trees—basically anything it could get its vines on.

Ichigo jumped up and said, "I got this one!"

She took a running leap and, dodging the vines the anima shot out at her, she shouted, "Mew Mew Ichigo, METAMORPHO-SIS!"

She was bathed in a pink light, and then it faded to reveal a red and pink strapless shirt that flared out above her navel and a pair of long, baggy pink pants with red ribbons trailing off the back hung low on her hips. Her forearms were wrapped in red bandages and a strip of hair behind the left side of her bangs was wrapped in red ribbon. Her tail was bare, and she twitched it back and forth as she leapt up, above the Chimera's head.

"Strawberry Swords!"

Two sais similar to Kisshu's appeared in her hands with a gold bell and a red bow on the hilt of each. She aimed and shouted, "Ribbon Strawberry Shock!" and the Chimera Anima exploded into a fantastic array of particles, the Para Para floating away.

Kisshu stared with amusement as the other Mews showered Ichigo with their amazement and praise.

_So that was what you wanted Pai to do for you…_

Suddenly, the celebration was cut short when a hollow laugh accompanied by a slow, deliberate clap filled the clearing.

"Very good," a voice said. "Very, very good. However, the real battle begins now."

And then a figure stepped out of the shadows and the Mews gasped.

WHO IS IT??? O___o


	14. Chapter 27&28

**Here's another chapter~! :D **

**27**

"Aoyama-san…?' Ichigo whispered. "Is that…you? The vibrations I feel are yours but…"

Chris stepped in front of Ichigo, shielding her with his body. "That's not Aoyama, Ichigo."

Masaya walked over to them until he was a mere twenty meters away. "Very good, boy. Do you know who I am?"

Chris stiffened and Masaya cackled. "Ah-ha, you do. You are also confused about which side you are on. You are torn between staying with your love and rejoining your teammates, who are still fully loyal to me. At least, the elder is. If the youngest doesn't shape up, I might have to kill him along with you. Either way, this Earth will belong to me and me alone."

A low growl escaped Chris's throat and Masaya laughed again.

"This human was so willing to give his soul up to me. He was a part of me, a scout I sent to earth to live and act like a human, learn their weaknesses. He is gone now, forever."

Ichigo gasped. "But…no, that can't be…"

A smirk came over Masaya's features. "Oh, can't it? I am a God. I can do anything."

"But that means that Aoyama-san wanted…"

Deep blue smirked. "He didn't care what happened to you as long the traitor here was killed."

Chris jumped on top of Ichigo and they both went crashing to the ground as Masaya's sword came slashing through the place where Ichigo's head had been.

The Mews jumped forward and began attacking; Ryo and Keiichiro pulled Chris and Ichigo back. Both he and Ichigo protested, but Ryo and Keiichiro were insistent and they pulled them both back into the trees.

Then there was and explosion and Zakuro and Retasu flew against the trees, crumpling to the ground. Purin and Minto continued to fight, although they were barely strong enough to hold out against the attacks that came at them.

Then, they too were thrown backwards, coming to a rolling stop on the ground. Ryo ran over and checked the vital signs of the barely conscious Mews, sighing , relieved, when he saw that they were all okay.

Masaya was standing in the middle of the park near the completely destroyed fountain, looking down at his feet.

Then, a single word escaped his lips and he began to rise off the ground, his body glowing a spectacular blue.

"_Finally."_

**28**

He stood before them a second later completely transformed, a menacing glare in his icy blue eyes.

A dark blue cloak fell to the floor, covering his tall form. The sword he held now was longer and jagged, as though it had been built to kill. His black hair, which fell nearly to his knees, curved around elongated, pointed ears.

Chris swore under his breath and Ichigo turned to him.

"Who is he?" she whispered.

"T-that's Deep Blue. The reason we took the Mew Aqua from you was to wake him so he could get the Earth for us, but apparently he wants the Earth for himself. He was our savior, but was a traitor all along." He swallowed. "And now that he's transformed into his true form, he's much more powerful."

Ichigo turned to look at Deep Blue again, who was gazing at the now upright and ready Mews with hatred.

Then he attacked and the battle for the Earth began. The final battle.

Ichigo jumped up to help her teammates and as she turned away, a hand caught hers and she looked back to find Kisshu string at her with pleading eyes.

"Be okay," he whispered.

She nodded and then she leapt into the air, shouting with all her might, "Strawberry Shock!"

Deep Blue turned quickly, but still only managed to block half of the attack and was thrown backwards into the rubble of the fountain. The Mews combined attacks and multicolored light filled the air.

"Strawberry Shock!"

"Zakuro Spear!"

"Pudding Inferno!"

"Lettuce Rush!"

"Mint Echo!"

There was an eternity of silence and then a cold voice rang out.

"_Did you pitiful humans really think that you could stop me?"_

A beam of crackling light flew out and slammed the Mews up against the tree line. They cried out but they rose to their feet shakily, blood running from cuts on their backs. Suddenly, Purin and Minto attacked.

"Pudding Inferno!"

"Mint Echo!"

Deep Blue was enveloped in pudding and then the arrow came speeding toward him, but he spun around with his sword out, slicing through Purin's attack like it was water and catching the arrow in his hand.

Mint's eyes widened as the alien broke her arrow in half, throwing the halves to the floor. He raised his hand from his side slowly, and two vines shot out of the undergrowth, wrapping around Purin and Mint. Zakuro and Retasu focused on freeing their companions, and Ichigo leapt into the air, sailing toward Deep Blue.

"Strawberry Shock!"

The attack missed as Deep Blue teleported, and she looked around wildly. When she felt a disturbance in the air behind her she turned and attacked again.

This time it hit its mark and deep Blue flew back in the air. She landed on the ground near the trees and looked up at him in the sky, watching him carefully.

He looked at her for a second, and then a malicious smirk took hold of his features. Ichigo squinted at him, wondering what he could possibly find amusement in, and then he disappeared.

She was looking around, trying to sense Deep Blue's vibrations, when the vines took hold of her, pinning her arms to her sides and squeezing her legs together. She cried out and her eyes went wide as her swords slipped from her fingers, falling to the concrete with a clatter.

Then Deep Blue appeared next to her, holding his sword to her neck.

"Now," he said in a slow, deliberate voice to the Mews, Ryo, Keiichiro and Chris. "Surrender the Earth to me or I'll slice her head clean off her shoulders."

**One word: REVIEEWWW!!**


End file.
